But who wants to turn on the oven? Toss a tray of homemade vegan cookies on the car dashboard and tap into the abundant solar energy trapped inside your car. On a hot day parked in the sun, your car not only feels like an oven - it really is one.

Warning: the temperature outside must be at least 95 degrees; and pick a recipe with an egg substitute instead of the real deal.

The Web site bakingbites.com provides some general hints, and here's what we learned from an experiment on a broiling Tuesday in downtown Portland:

Park so the dash will get direct sun for a few hours;

Follow a vegan cookie recipe (remember that raw eggs may contain salmonella and a car might not get hot enough to kill it);

Put a towel under the baking sheet to protect the dashboard. Spoon cookie dough onto the baking sheet;

Close the doors and wait 2-3 hours. Don't expect cookies to brown, since the sugar won't caramelize. The cookies are done when completely firm;